Saturday, January 5, 2013

Harmonious Habitation

In a week, for the first time, I will be moving in with a romantic partner. I am feeling kind of... trepidatious.  A nice little mix of nervous, anxious and curious. Of course, I decided it was a topic for the last girls' night I had. They had some tips -

1. Have separate baskets for our respective stuff. That way, one person can put the other person's things away and the other person will know where to look for it.


2. A shut door means you're Done. There will no longer be the option of going home when I'm mad. I am home. It's something I'm not sure how to handle, but my brilliant friend said in her household, when  you are having a disagreement, and you're at the point where you can't take any more- you leave the room and shut the door. It gives just enough space where you can cool down, and collect your thoughts. My addition- the only reason either party should open the door is to apologize. We'll see how that goes. :)

3. Finally, there is the possibility of rules. Each person can write a rule, and the other person gets to write one of their own. Tit for tat. For example, I can't stand a messy toothpaste tube. My rule may be to wipe off the toothpaste when it gets messy. His corresponding rule may be that I can only have one pair of shoes out at a time. One rule for one rule. Then we can see what things are really important, and which are things we can let go.


I was and am very grateful for these co-habitant hints.  Please tell me what tips you've learned over the years of living with another person (who you happen to love). 

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